Live chat with Zita West, Monday 12 November, 1pm

[OliviaMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce that Zita West will be here for an online chat with Mumsnetters next Monday 12 November.

Zita is a practicing midwife, acupuncturist and nutritional advisor. She worked in the NHS for over 20 years and then in 2002, she set up the Zita West clinic, a multi-disciplinary practice that uses evidence-based complementary therapies for fertility and pregnancy.

Zita will be joining us for an hour on Monday at 1 o'clock, so grab a sarnie, get your questions ready and join us then.

If for some strange reason, you can't be here (and we hope you've got a very good excuse) then please post any advance questions here.

Thanks, MNHQ

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

I shall be working

Will follow with interest

[julesd2808]

It is my first day back at work on Monday so will not be able to make the chat

I am almost 35, and really want to get pregnant again soon, but I am still breastfeeding my little boy (12 months) twice a day at 7am and 7pm, and my periods have not returned.

Is it because I am still breastfeeding that my periods have not returned? Could it be another reason? Does it mean that I am definately not ovulating if I am not having periods, and therefore cannot get pregnant?

Is the best course of action to reduce my feeding even further to one and then no feeds over the next few months, so that hopefully my preiods return asap. Are you most fertile when your periods first return?

Thank you so much for your help.

[CathKidston]

Hi Zita
I'm out on Monday, but would love you to answer my question.

I'm 4 months pregnant with my first and am very anxious about the birth - I know from what I've read that if I'm stressed and anxious, this is only going to make things worse. How can I best prepare myself for this?

I've heard that analogy that having a baby is a bit like planning a wedding - the birth is the wedding day and the baby itself is the marriage - I feel like the birth is only one part of it but I seem most worried about that.

Any advice gratefully received.

[yogabug]

Dear Zita

I am almost 45 years old (next week!) but that negative fact aside, I am very fit, very healthy and people say I look half my age! I have a lovely 6 year old daughter and would love to have another baby. My history: (in brief, however traumatic) is: 4 1/2 years ago I found myself pregnant; husband and I chose to have a termination. Then 2 1/2 years ago I found myself pregnant again (this time I felt happier about the pregnancy but my husband didn't). Unfortunately I became very ill with hyperemesis gravidarium and ended up in hospital. There I went through hell with having to decide what to do. I chose to have a termination - mainly because I was frightened of being so ill and wasn't thinking right. Since then I've managed to move on but unfortunately without a clear conscience - I still have moments of deep sadness, regret and guilt. Last year I got pregnant again but unfortunately had a 'missed miscarriage' (no heartbeat at 11 1/2 wks). I was heartbroken. But...I'm not giving up and have an inner belief that I CAN have another baby.

I have monthly acupuncture and I'm just about to start some hypnotherapy. Zita, is there anything you can personally advise or suggest...in any way. I will do anything (except IVF - my husband won't spend that sort of money on something he feels should be 'natural). PS. I've never smoked, I've given up drink now since 2 months, I practice yoga and eat very healthily. I would appreciate your help so much as I feel under so much pressure because of my age. Thank you.

[AitchTwoOh]

i LOVE Zita West.
i once sent an email to her site in a fit of absolute ttc/pg loss horror and loneliness and would you believe it, she actually phoned to find out if i was okay!?

i wasn't a client or a patient, just some weirdy woman looking for a wee bit of internet advice (which i'd thought i might get from some underling, not Zita herself). How kind is that?

and even freakier, she called JUST after i'd had a brainstorm and done a pregnancy test at 9dpo and it had come up positive so i was more than a little freaked out.

her rather magnificent line when i told her i was pg? 'i get that a lot'. LOL.

so thank you, Zita West, for being so kind to me back then... from me, DH and my lovely 22-month-old dd.

[Lulumama]

I have a question as i might not be here:

Hi Zita

Is fertility hereditary? My grandmother, mum , myself and my sister all got pregnant easily and quickly .. is it likely my children will be fertile? or is it total pot luck and does more depend on the DH too?

thank you

and thanks MNHQ for another great guest

mwah x

[OliviaMumsnet]

Bump!

[RubySlippers]

I am going to TTC no.2 next year when i will be heading towards 33 (eek)

My first pg was not brilliant - terrible SPD, and daily heparin injections (history of blood clots), utter exhaustion and nausea for the first trimester - can you recommend anything to make this next pregnancy (fingers crossed) more comfortable?

[InspectorWotz]

I might not be around, but I am intersted and

wold like to ask a Question

My just turned 11 year old dd, has just began her period this week (I was 13 when I started, my mother was 15):

Q: Because of the dropping age of puberty does this mean that our daughters should be considering starting families earlier?

thank you.

[Nbg]

Hi Zita

I would just like to ask for a bit of advice on behalf of my sister and brother in law.

They have been trying for a baby for nearly 2 years now with no success.
My sister in law had a laporoscapy earlier this year which didnt conclude anything and she has been going for ultrasound scans monthly and taking clomid and they can see that she is ovulating and everything is how it should be. Brother in law has also had all the checks and he is fine.

They have been refered to another hospital now for IVF and GIFT but they are so desperate for a child and becoming so frustrated.

What would you say to a couple in this situation and is there any advice you could give?

[coffeemonster]

Hi Zita
Frivolous question but I've read that you worked with lots of celebrities. You probably can't say, but does birth hurt them as much as us mere mortals?!

[twixfits]

We've been ttc for ten months now and doing all the "right things", folic acid for me, zinc and boxers for DP and I've worked really hard to lose some weight so my BMI is now in the normal range (though I'm still no size 10 lol)
What I'm really missing is wine.

What I want to know is what's the best thing to do on this? There's so much conflicting advice on alcohol. TTC and the and when we get another BFN makes us so tense. Sometimes I think a glass of wine would help us unwind but I don't want to harm our chances and so have been strict on this.

On the other hand, sex is becoming such a chore and I miss the days when we used to have a takeaway and some wine and fall into bed and sex was fun.

Is it better to have stress free sex or to stay off the booze?
I'd love to hear your views.

I'm 28 btw and DP is 30.

[herbaceous]

I am nearly 42. I have had four miscarriages in the past two years, the last three being after 10 weeks. I've had all the tests, and nothing is wrong, except elevated killer cells, which I know is a controversial theory.

The last two losses were due to chromosonal problems - trisomies. I've been advised to 'keep trying', in the expectation that my luck will turn.

I conceived my previous four pregnancies within four or five months, but this one is taking longer. My day 3 FSH and LH are 'exceptional' for my age, at around 4, and I've just started taking my temperatures to see if I'm ovulating. I'm having acupuncture, taking chinese herbs, drinking grapefruit juice, and trying to engineer sex at the right time.

Is there anything else I can do? Should I give up tea and red wine (which frankly keep me going)?

[VictoriaR]

Hi
I'm 41 and I've been told I've got to have my FSH levels tested. From what I understand if the result is over a certain number then I won't beeligible for fertility treatment. Now, I'm really worried about even having the test, in case it reveals that we're at the end of the road before we've even started. Is there anything I can do to help with this?
Thanks

[lemonmeringuepie]

After a disastrous failed marriage and very bitter divorce from a man who didn't make it clear he didn't want children, after three years alone, I've finally found a partner I can trust and we want to start a family. But I'm 43 (he's 41) and everybody keeps telling me we'll be wasting time by trying naturally - that if we give ourselves a few months of TTC we may be leaving it too late to have investigations etc.
I can't help but think I'm healthy, at a good weight for my height, don't drink too much and have had regular periods for years and that everything will be fine but am I setting myself up for heartbreak? If we should keep trying naturally to begin with, is there anythig we can do to improve our chances?

[myboyjack]

I have a wonderful DS who's nearly two but I've had miscarriages in the past and I'm almost scared of trying again. I don't want to go into the long details but I've found it hard to get pregnant. So then the roller coaster of emotions when I'm falling pregnant and then the grief of discovering that the little bean has not held on is just too much to bear.
Is there ANYTHING I can do to prevent m/c and help myself carry a much wanted second baby to term?

[superkat]

Hello Zita,

I read your book which I found very useful (and recommend to all).

I have PCOS but managed to concieve first try . I gave birth by c-section on June 5th. I had an infection following this which went after one course of anti-biotics. I am breast feeding and my periods have not returned. We really want to conceive our second as soon as possible.

My questions are:
*What can I do to facilitate my fertility returning?
*Can I breast feed and conceive?
*Will the PCOS or infection affect me getting pregnant again?

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us and to MNHQ for yet another super guest.

Kat

[soosy]

Hello Zita

I have a DB 33 months, who was conceived through IVF (7 years,10th attempt). I eat healthily, take a multivitamin and Flaxseed oil, do yoga, when I can, and am having acupuncture - as I had it when I concieved and it seemed to make a difference. We have had 3 unsuccessful attempts since DB was born and I am conscious that I am now 38 and my age is not helping. Is there anything else I should be doing to help, my next attempt will be in January and I live in London.

[poisondwarf]

Hi,

Basically the same question as a couple of posters above. At (very nearly) 38, and still breastfeeding my 7-month-old, I would like to get pregnant again but my periods have not yet returned.

I got pregnant naturally at 36 within 4 to 5 months of trying. In your experience, would my fertility have declined significantly since then? I'd rather wean when my baby's ready, but obviously don't want to leave it too late. Is there anything I can do to help my periods return while still breastfeeding, or do you think I can risk leaving it a while and waiting for my period to come back on its own?

Thanks

[lissieloulou]

OMG, im so glad i have returned for this!

Zita, i am 29, dh is 31 and we have a 31 month old ds who was concieved after 4y ttc since ds was born (by crash cs after a difficult pg with lots of bleeding) i have had 5 early mc's (4 at the 6w mark and one at 7w) i have also had an ectopic pregnancy which resulted in the loss of my left tube. they discovered GBS in my uterus after ds was born, should i be taking anit-biotics as soon as i get pg, could the GBS be infecting my babies? also, since my last mc (june) i have noticed that my leutal phase is only about 8d, we are seeing a consultant but i want to ask if there is anything more i can do to stabilise it.

Thank you!

[Lulumama]

please answer lissie's question

[OracleInaCoracle]

hi lulu

[BellaBear]

Can I add an extension to lulumama's question? Are pregnancies hereditary? By which I mean things like when and how severely you get nausea (mine has been the smae as my mum's experience), whether you are early or late, how long your labour is and so on?

Thank you very much in advance.

[juju71]

HI

I'm 36 with a 10 year old DD who was conceived without even trying! When she was 5 we decided to try for no.2 and conceived straight away, only to miscarry at 9 weeks, this was closely followed by two more miscarriages both just after 6 weeks. Since thene there's been nothing. I've taken clomid, had Lap and Dye's and hysterosalpingograms (urgh!) DH has has been tested and annoyingly we're both fine. My last treatment was Lipiodal tubal flushing which was very painful and the dye only made it down one tube. My NHS consultant has now said our only hope is IVF. We consider IVF to much of a gamble both financially and emotionally and i feel as though i'm giving up on my body.
I've been considering accupuncture as my next step, would you recommend i go down this route or maybe go for the IVF?

Sorry for the long post. Please help.

Judith
X

[coggy]

Hurrah! What a fantastic woman to have on .
Sadly I shall be at work...but...
I and DH are 36.
TTC for 5 years, 3 cycles of clomid = DS (sadly stillborn through a knot in his cord)
Now been TTC again for 2 1/2 years .

After reading Zita's books I started charting/ noticing CM etc. and discovered I have a LP of only 8 or 9 days (which I have been told several times is not a problem or issue in our fertility problems).
I have finished 3 more clomids, 3 IUI cycles and I am going to have my one and only 'allowed' (NHS) IVF next month.

What natural things can we do to help us if the IVF doesn't work - obviously I can get pg and have a healthy pg so this is all rather frustrating and depressing now!

The doctors/consultants just say that IUI and IVF are our best bet....but that is no use if they don't work is it?

Thanks Zita.